Press conference remarks regarding reproductive rights awareness week
My name is Gary Dougherty and I am the State Legislative
Director of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of Ohio, the public policy arm of the
three Planned Parenthood affiliates providing reproductive and preventive
health care to women, men, and teens throughout the state.
First of all, I want to thank Senator Tavares and
Representative Antonio for introducing these resolutions recognizing this week
as Reproductive Rights Awareness Week.
This past Sunday marked the
39th anniversary of the Roe v.
Wade Supreme Court decision. This
landmark ruling guaranteed that the right to privacy in the U.S. Constitution
protects the right of a woman to choose whether to continue a pregnancy or to have
a safe and legal abortion.
Unfortunately, here in Ohio, we are
coming off a year during which an unprecedented number of bills that can only
be described as anti-women’s health have been introduced and enacted into law.
Be assured, we are watching – women
and men – and we are drawing a line in the sand to say enough is
enough.
The truth is, no matter what they call themselves
or where they align politically, a majority of
Americans respect the decision each woman must make about her own pregnancy and
oppose efforts to overturn Roe. That hasn’t changed in the last four decades.
I am proud to represent Planned
Parenthood here today as we support the recognition of this as Reproductive
Rights Awareness Week. For eight decades, Planned Parenthood
has provided Ohioans with access to quality, preventive reproductive health
services and education to prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted
infections. In fact, one in five women
have turned to Planned Parenthood at some time in their lives for professional,
non-judgmental and confidential health care.
In these tough economic times, more Ohio women
than ever need access to essential health care services.
Planned Parenthood is proud to stand with Senator
Tavares and Representative Antonio and others here today to support
Reproductive Rights Awareness Week and the public awareness, conversation, and
support for reproductive rights and justice that it will encourage.
Download a .pdf of this statement.
Read more...
Download a .pdf of this statement.
Quinnipiac poll on "heartbeat" ban
The following statement can be attributed to Gary Dougherty, State Legislative Director for Planned Parenthood Affiliates of Ohio, in response to this morning’s Quinnipiac Poll revealing that Ohio voters are divided on the “heartbeat” abortion ban bill:
“This poll confirms what we have been saying all along – this is a divisive issue that should be shelved in favor of a more focused effort to create jobs and improve the economy, something that all Ohioans can agree upon and what they have been waiting on their elected representatives to tackle since the last election.”
CARE bill is introduced.
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| CARE Act sponsors (left to right): Rep. Garland, Sen. Turner, and Rep. Antonio |
Senator Nina Turner (D-Cleveland) and Representatives Nancy Garland (D-New Albany) and Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) held a press conference today to announce the introduction. These three legislators are the main sponsors of the bills.
Current law allows hospital emergency rooms to deny this treatment to rape survivors. Hospital staff, in some facilities, routinely refuse to provide women with this legal contraceptive medication that could prevent them from becoming pregnant by their rapist. The CARE Act would require hospitals to provide emergency contraception to any rape survivor that requested it.
"Comprehensive and compassionate care helps women in crisis move from victim to survivor," said Rep. Garland. "The CARE Act is a common-sense approach. It will help ensure sexual assault victims are given accurate, unbiased information in a timely manner when they visit the hospital, allowing them to make informed choices about their lives."
"It is absolutely imperative that victims of sexual assault are provided with the full array of treatment information and options when they seek medical assistance," said Sen. Turner. "This legislation will make sure that they receive the level of care they deserve."
"Make no mistake, this is not a Democratic or Republican issue, not is this an issue of ideology," said Rep. Antonio. "This is an issue of fairness, compassion, and the right of survivors of sexual assault to have full access to emergency care and treatment - something that should resonate with all Ohioans."
The three legislators were joined by Jacque Jovic of the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, Katie Hanna of the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence, and Jaime Miracle of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio.
"More women in the United States are raped than smoke," Jacque Jovic explained the need for the bills. "Now, let's think of the money, time and resources spent on smokers... Compare all of that money and all of that awareness to what we do to support survivors. There is a lot of work to be done."
-Gabriel Mann Read more...
2011 Wrap It Up
2011 has been one heck of a year! Extreme legislators in Congress and the Ohio Statehouse have been relentless in their attempts to restrict abortion rights and access to affordable and quality health care. They have achieved some gains, but not without a fight. Planned Parenthood supporters have been on the front lines in this war against women.
- In January, 99 of you drove through an actual blizzard to attend the annual Roe v. Wade celebration with us.
- In February, we convened at the Ohio Statehouse to bear witness to the introduction and hearings of one egregious bill after another. In total, the Ohio General Assembly has taken up 10 anti-choice bills in 2011!
- In March, over 300 Planned Parenthood supporters rallied in Toledo, Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati to stand in opposition to the proposed federal defunding of Planned Parenthood.
- In April, over 180 of you packed into four buses and drive through the night to Washington D.C. to stop Congress from using women's health care as THE final bargaining chip in a debate that almost shut down the federal government. Our message was heard loud and clear and Planned Parenthood continues to receive federal funding to support vital health care services such as cancer screenings, annual exams, STD testing and treatment, and birth control.
- In May, more than 200 supporters stormed the halls of the Statehouse on Trust Women Lobby Day.
- In June, we experienced our darkest day of the year, as THREE anti-choice bills, including the "heartbeat" abortion ban bill, passed in the Ohio House. Our email to tell you all the news was met with a strong response of solidarity and the most online donations we had ever received.
- In July, you all watched as Senator Nina Turner and her pro-choice colleagues battled against the House Bill 78 abortion ban in the Ohio Senate. Thousands of you joined our call to action by contacting your legislator and urging them to stop the war on women.
- In August, hundreds of supporters attended Congressional town halls, catching Rep. Steve Chabot telling lies about Planned Parenthood on video.
- In September, we got to hear the TRUTH from Sen. Sherrod Brown in our telephone town hall - over FOUR THOUSAND of you joined us.
- In October, we found out that opponents of birth control and abortion rights were trying to jump start a "personhood" ballot initiative in Ohio. You helped review signatures on the petitions submitted, and we saw the Attorney General REJECT their initial application. But they will be back...in fact, they submitted signatures for their revised petition just last week.
- In November, you called on behalf of the women of Mississippi to help deliver a massive victory that sent this message: "personhood" laws are unacceptable - anytime, anywhere.
- In December, you testified against the "heartbeat" abortion ban bill. Doctors, lawyers, rape survivors, and all kinds of advocates for reproductive justice told the Ohio Senate that Ohio women will not accept an unconstitutional law. The result: the bill's progress was stopped in its tracks.
Reproductive justice supporters haven’t been this energized in decades! If you showed up, participated, spoke out, or donated, you were a part of the fight to stop the war on women. For that, we offer you our most sincere thanks!
The war is far from over though. The “heartbeat” bill still looms before us and hearings on legislation to defund Planned Parenthood in Ohio are certain to resume. The personhood amendment and more anti-choice legislation will surely require much of our time and resources to fight. We need you to stay involved as these battles begin in 2012.
Get the latest updates on Facebook or follow us on Twitter. Please consider a year-end donation to PPAO as well – 100% of the contribution will be used toward our advocacy efforts. Visit our donation page here.
Happy New Year!
Sincerely, The PPAO Team Read more...
Thanks and Spanks - 2011 Year-End Edition
Thanks to Sherrod Brown
for a year of support!
for a year of support!
A war on women began
in 2011 and U.S.
Senator Sherrod Brown was on the front lines to defend against
these attacks! He is undeniably one of the greatest advocates for
Ohio women and access to comprehensive health care. For his work in 2011, we give
Senator Sherrod Brown our Thanks of the Year.In the spring, Senator Brown was a key voice against a push to shut-down the federal government over family planning funding. Of course the real target wasn’t family planning funding, it was Planned Parenthood. Anti-choice legislators were willing to risk millions of women losing access to critical health care services in order to further their anti-Planned Parenthood agenda. If not for a few key Senators, women would have lost critical funding for services such as cancer screenings, STD testing and treatment, birth control, and well-woman exams. Sherrod Brown said, "No!" and stood up for women and families.
In the summer, Senator Brown held a special Telephone Town Hall for Planned Parenthood supporters in Ohio. He thanked us for our efforts to protect women’s access to health care and urged everyone to tell their story about why Planned Parenthood is important to you. You can tell your story here.
This fall, he has been at the front of the effort to protect birth control access for all women. The inclusion of prescription birth control as a form of preventive health care with no co-pay was a major victory for women during health care reform. Senator Brown has been a leader on this issue, directly engaging key staff in the Obama administration to ensure that birth control without co-pay is a right for everyone, regardless of your employer.
For all your work this year and in the years to come: Thank you Senator Brown!
Spanks to Speaker Bill Batchelder
and Senate President Tom Niehaus
for violating the Constitution
to harm women.
and Senate President Tom Niehaus
for violating the Constitution
to harm women.
This year, Ohioans were hurting. Over half a million of us are still unemployed, and instead of focusing on job creation, our legislative leaders at the Ohio Statehouse set forth on a crusade to ban abortion. For that reason the Spanks of the Year goes to Speaker of the House William Batchelder and Senate President Tom Niehaus.
This year, ten – yes ten! – bills aimed at restricting a woman’s right to choose were introduced in the Ohio legislature. While all the bills are certainly extreme, at least three of them are unconstitutional as well! Despite the oaths that Speaker Batchelder and President Niehaus took to uphold the constitution in their service as elected officials, they willingly advanced these pieces of legislation. You might even say that some of the bills were fast-tracked through the legislature. It has been a bad year for reproductive justice in Ohio, and largely at the expense of valuable time that should have been spent creating jobs and finding ways to improve our economy.
Speaker Batchelder and President Niehaus put extremist special interests ahead of women and the people of Ohio.
For their messed up priorities and disregard for women: Shame on you Speaker Batchelder and President Niehaus!
Ground zero in the fight against Ohio’s abortion ban
Ohio is on the brink of having the most restrictive abortion ban in the nation. This week, Ohio Senators will give a second hearing to the ‘heartbeat” bill, HB 125. The bill would ban abortion at the first moment a fetal heartbeat could be detected – earlier than most women even know they are pregnant – with no exceptions for rape, incest, or to protect the health of the mother.
The bill easily passed the Ohio House this spring surrounded by one of the most outrageous media circuses the Statehouse has ever seen. Two pregnant women were given ultrasounds during a hearing, thousands of red heart-shaped balloons and buttons have been delivered to legislators’ offices, and even an airplane-pulled banner circled the building.
All of this might be cute if the bill weren’t blatantly unconstitutional. Proponents have openly admitted that the bill is a tool to try to overturn Roe. The ensuing court battle would cost the state millions in a time when half a million Ohioans are unemployed.
Despite the massive media and fundraising drive backing the bill, we are fighting like mad to stop this proposal. Planned Parenthood volunteers have been writing newspapers and calling legislators to voice their disapproval, and it appears they may be getting through. On Friday, the conservative Cincinnati Inquirer published an editorial on the bill. Their take: “Now’s not the time.”
We need your help to stop this assault on women. If you’re in Ohio, please call the chairman of the Ohio Senate Health Committee, Sen. Scott Oelslager at (614) 466-0626. Ask him to stop wasting taxpayer’s time and money with this unconstitutional bill and go back to work trying to fix the state’s economy.
Gabriel Mann
E-Organizer
Planned Parenthood Affiliates of Ohio
Thanks and...Thanks! - Thanksgiving Edition
Thanks to You and All the
Planned Parenthood Supporters!
Planned Parenthood Supporters!
2011 has been one heck of a year so far, so this month we're giving thanks to YOU!
Anti-choice members of Congress and the Ohio Statehouse have tried every trick in the book to limit women's access to a full range of affordable health care. This spring, they tried to hold the federal budget hostage over funding for family planning. This summer, they tried to exclude no-cost birth control from health care reform. And here in Ohio over the course of the last year, they have attempted to pass the "Heartbeat Bill," which would be the most restrictive abortion ban in the country. It is because of your efforts that family planning funds are still available, birth control will be available without co-pay, and the "Heartbeat Bill" sits idle in the Ohio Senate. For that and more, we say "Thank you!"
You've done an amazing job...but (you know what
we're going to say) there's still more work to do. How can you join
us? Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter! We value all of your work and contributions.
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Thanks to Representative Stephen
Slesnick
and Senator Michael Skindell for
the Act for Our Children's Future.
and Senator Michael Skindell for
the Act for Our Children's Future.
This month, we celebrate the introduction of
the Act for Our Children's Future.
The bill requires that any public school that offers sex education must offer
comprehensive, medically-accurate sex education. Representative Stephen Slesnick
(D-Canton) has introduced HB
338, and Senator
Michael Skindell (D-Lakewood) introduced the companion bill, SB 232.Why do we need honest and accurate sexuality education?
- 27,000 Ohio teenage girls become pregnant every year.
- 1 in 4 American teenage girls have a sexually transmitted infection.
- 71% of Ohio voters feel that the best approach to sex education is to focus equally on abstinence as well as the value of condoms and contraceptive use.
We thank them both for their work to protect Ohio's youth.
Thanks and Spanks - Halloween Edition
Spanks to Personhood Ohio for
their push to ban most forms
of birth control and all abortion.
their push to ban most forms
of birth control and all abortion.
Who wants a good scare? Personhood Ohio submitted pre-qualification signatures in their mission to put a constitutional amendment on the 2012 Ohio ballot to ban hormonal birth control and all abortions. Boo!We wish this was a trick, but they're very serious. Ohio Attorney General Mike Dewine rejected this submission on the grounds that the summary language is not fair and truthful, but that will only delay the group. Right now, they are appealing this decision in the Supreme Court. Women in Ohio need to educate themselves about this group and their amendment. To find out more, visit Healthy Families Ohio, a coalition working to stop them.
Thanks to Representative Betty Suttonfor speaking against House Bill 358.
When Congress voted on their newest anti-women's health bill, H.R. 358, Representative Betty Sutton (D-Copley) rose to speak against it. Simply put, this radical legislation would allow a hospital to deny abortion care to a woman, even if a doctor deems that it is necessary to save her life. It would also take comprehensive health care coverage away from women and create loopholes that states and insurance companies could exploit to undermine the new requirement that insurance companies provide birth control with no co-pays.You can view her remarks here.
She was joined in voting against the bill by Representatives Tim Ryan (D-Niles), Marcy Kaptur (D-Toledo), Marcia Fudge (D-Cleveland), and Dennis Kucinich (D-Cleveland). Thanks to these members from Ohio for standing against it.
BREAKING: Personhood update
Personhood USA, a radical, out-of-state group took their first step to make sweeping changes to Ohio’s constitution today. Their goal is to give fertilized eggs full legal rights, changing the meaning of countless laws in the process.
If they get their way, this will have far-reaching consequences for the health and safety of women and families. The constitutional changes could:
- Outlaw most birth control methods
- Endanger women’s health and safety by limiting medical options for pregnant women
- Force government intrusions into our private lives
- Severely restrict reproductive technologies, such as in vitro fertilization
- Ban all abortions, even for rape and incest
- Cost taxpayers by creating a flurry of lawsuits
This idea is bad medicine, bad policy, and bad law. If you believe people should have the right to make private medical decisions without intrusion from politicians and lawyers, you should oppose this.
What can you do to stop this?
- Visit www.healthyfamiliesohio.com to keep updated, volunteer or donate.
- Decline to sign if anyone asks you to support the “personhood amendment.”
- Ask any organizations you belong to if they will join the Healthy Families Ohio coalition, which is dedicated to fighting this threat to our families.
- Like Healthy Families Ohio on Facebook.
- Follow Healthy Families Ohio on Twitter @HFOhio.
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